Ben 10: Hero Effect
by Darth Terminus
Summary: Ben Tennyson is quite experienced in saving his own universe, but now Paradox has enlisted him to save another. He'll be going up against a terrorist organization, insect-like aliens, and a race of unstoppable, genocidal machines. But he won't be doing it alone.


**GUESS WHO'S BACK?!**

 **Thank you all for standing by me and sticking with the story over a year and a half hiatus. You're my inspiration and my reason to continue writing.**

 **Special thanks to the Incredible Muffin, whose kind words and amazing stories helped put me back on this path.**

 **Now, sit back and enjoy my Pneumono-Ultra-Microscopic-Silico-Volcano-Psychedelic-Niosis Supreme Maximum Ultra Chapter 1!**

* * *

 **Chapter 1: A New Mission**

Ben Tennyson was _bored_.

Strangely enough, the eighteen-year-old superhero honestly thought boredom was a problem he would no longer have to contend with once he put the Omnitrix back on three years ago. There had always seemed to be something new to encounter just around the corner. Alien invasions, interdimensional warlords, random monsters, the list goes on. It seemed unfathomable at the time that he would eventually find himself with nothing to do.

Unfortunately, after Ben had succeeded in defeating the monstrously powerful Diagon when he was sixteen, things had settled down quite a bit. Realizing that he could do even more to help the universe, Azmuth had gotten to work creating a new super-advanced prison, one that stood on the precipice of a black hole. If anything went wrong, the large installation would plunge into the vortex and be crushed into oblivion.

The prison's first esteemed guest? The conqueror of ten worlds and Ben's archnemesis, Vilgax.

Once it was proven that even the squid-like warlord couldn't escape (and oh, how he tried), the Plumbers started sending all of the worst criminals there, including such familiar names as Aggregor and Albedo.

Eventually, even the repeat offenders who weren't too dangerous were locked away, like Dr. Animo and Ssserpent.

Plus, Azmuth had also put together a team of the most intelligent Galvan in the universe in order to improve the arsenal of the Plumbers, giving them almost impenetrable armor and extraordinarily effective weaponry.

The end result? Whenever Ben defeated one of his recurring enemies on Earth, they would be locked away in the black hole prison, which still hasn't had a single escape. And due to the newfound formidability of the Plumbers, conflicts on other planets were constantly being handled without the help of the wielder of the Omnitrix.

Other than an occasional bank-robber or newfound whackjob that intended to cause trouble, Ben's life was just an endless amount of free time.

After graduating high school, the young man decided to move out of his parents' place and into his own apartment. To do that, he needed money, which he managed to acquire in large amounts by manipulating the stock market and selling off shards of high-quality crystal (thanks to Grey Matter and Diamondhead, respectfully).

Now that he had his own place and enough income to keep him comfortable for a long time, Ben's parents had been relentless in their belief that he should attend college. And to make matters worse, they had roped Gwen into it as well, knowing full well that the savior of the universe could deny his favorite cousin very little.

In the end, he had promised that he would think about it.

* * *

At the current moment, Ben was sitting in a very empty Mr. Smoothy's, enjoying his all-time favorite beverage and allowing his mind to wander. When it came down to it, what did he really have left to do?

Gwen had gone off to an Ivy League college almost immediately after graduation. Kevin, naturally, had followed her, working in an auto shop near the school in order to stay close to his girlfriend.

The Plumbers' Helpers were now travelling across the galaxy, solving problems wherever they went.

And Julie was long gone. She and Ben had broken up about a year ago, and his heart still ached whenever he thought about her. Gwen, being the doting cousin that she was, attempted to get him to go out with other girls, but it was all for naught. Besides the fact that he couldn't find a girl to fill that void, all of the women that came into contact with him only saw the superhero, the legend. They didn't bother seeing him as a human being (or three quarters of one, at least).

Ben sighed and shook his head, attempting to get those kinds of thoughts out of his mind.

With one last sip, the young man finished off the remainder of his smoothie before turning and tossing it at the garbage can nearby. A smirk crossed his face as the cup flew perfectly into the bin.

"Bullseye," Ben muttered to himself as he stood up and dusted off his trademark jacket. "I wonder if Rex ever has times like these," the wielder of the Omnitrix pondered, thinking back to the time where he had crossed over into an alternate universe where human beings were infected with microscopic machines called nanites, befriending a fellow teen hero in the process.

Even among Ben's many fantastical tales, that had been a weird adventure.

"And there's my cue!" came an all-too-familiar voice from behind young superhero. He turned around, his eyes landing on the labcoat-wearing time-traveler, Professor Paradox.

"Hey, Professor," Ben greeted with a small wave. "I'm guessing you need my help to save the universe again?"

Though the British immortal being was pleasant enough to be around, his presence almost never boded well, usually signaling that the galaxy, universe, time stream, or something else vitally important was in danger.

Well, at least the boring times were over.

"An excellent guess!" Paradox exclaimed as he pulled out a brown paper bag. "Gumball?"

"No thanks," Ben politely declined, idly wondering if the professor ever actually ran out of gumballs or just used his time powers to replenish them. The teen couldn't picture him walking into a corner store to buy more.

With a shrug, the time-traveler smoothly slipped the paper bag into a coat pocket, his face then transforming from his usual easy-going demeanor into something much more serious.

"Benjamin, I come with grave news," Paradox began.

The young man tensed, preparing for any number of worst-case scenarios.

"You see, I've recently discovered that I can use my abilities to cross the barrier between dimensions," the professor explained, a hint of excitement creeping into his voice. "Because of this, I've witnessed many strange and wondrous universes."

Ben cocked his head. "Like what?"

"Oh, I'm afraid I don't have the time to go into great detail. I'm here to talk to you about one alternate reality that has me concerned," Paradox said, his face somehow becoming even more grim.

"You see, Benjamin, this universe is particularly interesting. While humans have grown to the point where they can explore and colonize the galaxy, the number of sentient, space-faring races is extraordinarily low. Around a dozen or so by my count," the Time Walker explained.

The teen blinked in surprise. While he wasn't a genius by any means, he had enough experience and common sense to know that the Milky Way galaxy was a vast place, where many species should have evolved to the interstellar level. A dozen species making up the entire star system? Something was wrong.

"After I did some research and exploration, I discovered something terrifying," the professor said, preparing himself for the words he was about to speak. "The entire galaxy, for what I can only describe as a considerable amount of time, has been built on a cycle of extinction."

Ben felt a chill go up his spine. Extinction?

Paradox continued. "You see, approximately every fifty thousand years, a few civilizations throughout the Milky Way manage to develop the technology to travel among the stars. Eventually, once they reach a certain point, a race of monstrous machines known as Reapers appear and cleanse the entire galaxy. They wipe out every sentient race, along with their culture, technology, history, everything. Fifty thousand years later, when new civilizations evolve to the same point, the Reapers appear and start the whole thing over."

The wielder of the Omnitrix suddenly felt like the smoothie he had just consumed was about to make itself known again...

"Now, humans are among the races that rule over the galaxy, and the Reapers are on the verge of attacking once again. While a few exceptional individuals are doing everything they can to prepare, I believe that you may be able to tip the scales in their favor," the professor revealed.

Ben's answer was immediate. "When do I start?"

That simple question brought a smile back to Paradox's face. "Immediately. Now, you're a quick study, so I imagine you'll be able to pick up all the knowledge you need when you get there. However, I must go over a few things, first."

"Like what?"

"Well, first of all, I must tell you what you're up against. The Reapers attempted to restart the cycle two years ago, but their single vanguard was destroyed by a small but extremely skilled group. Now, they're trying a different tactic, using a slave race known as the Collectors to abduct humans across the galaxy in large numbers."

Ben cocked his head. "Why humans?"

"The team that thwarted the Reapers' plan was led by a human named Commander Shepard. They now have a considerable interest in the human race as a whole," came the reply.

"Alright. What do I need to know about these 'Collectors'?"

"They are insectoid in appearance, with relatively advanced technology, when compared to the rest of the galaxy. The important thing to note is the fact that they are not truly alive. They're little more than a monstrous fusion of machine and dead flesh."

"So, they're robot zombie bug people?" the teen simplified.

"In essence. Which is why I must ask you not to hesitate in putting them down for good," Paradox requested, his face becoming grim once again.

Ben's eyes widened, stunned by his immortal friend's sudden ruthlessness.

Before the wielder of the Omnitrix could protest, the professor spoke again. "Trust me, Benjamin, you will be doing them a kindness. The Collectors are hollow shells, little more than slaves for the Reapers. They have no will of their own, no true consciousness."

Although the idea made him uncomfortable, the teen could understand why Paradox asked this of him.

"Also," the time traveling British man perked up, a smile reappearing on his face once again, "the same Commander Shepard I mentioned earlier is putting together a very specialized group in order to deal with the Collectors. Joining his team should be of paramount importance."

"And the fact that I'm a superhero from another universe?" Ben asked, a hint of humor in his voice.

"Shepard is very pragmatic, and a good man," Paradox said simply. "Show him that you're on his side, and he'll gladly bring you onboard. I believe you two will get along splendidly."

Well, that was good. It was always good to find new allies who wouldn't be confrontational.

"One more thing, and this is important," the professor added. "This team that Shepard is putting together is comprised of very unique individuals from different walks of life. Some are more virtuous than others, but all of them are highly skilled when it comes to killing."

Ben stiffened ever so slightly. While he didn't like killing people, even his worst enemies, he was fully able to do so if the situation was dire enough, and no other option was readily available.

"I'm not asking you to like it, only that you keep an open mind and try not to judge these people too harshly," Paradox requested. "They are all more than they appear."

He then lowered his gaze, and Ben could almost _feel_ the wave of sorrow emanating from the time-traveler.

"In order to understand what the Reapers are capable of, I glimpsed into this universe's past," he said quietly. "The atrocities they commit are far beyond anything I've ever seen. They slaughter everyone, man, woman, and child. Anyone who isn't immediately killed has their mind shattered, becoming slaves to the machines that are completely willing to turn on their own loved ones."

The teen felt his gut twist into knots, his vivid imagination already putting images to Paradox's words, though he knew his mind would never be able to fathom the horrors the Time Walker was describing. To make things worse, Ben saw the professor pinch the bridge of his nose, most likely to prevent tears from falling.

After a few seconds, Paradox managed to regain his composure, his ageless face grimly determined. "I know you, Ben. You'll throw everything you have at the Reapers, because that's the kind of person you are."

The wielder of the Omnitrix, Savior of the Universe, and Vanquisher of Vilgax stood tall, ready to do what he did best.

"You'll tell Grandpa and the others where I am?" Ben asked.

The time-traveler nodded.

"Then let's do this."

Paradox couldn't help but smile at the boy's courage. "I'll send you there immediately. You will be landing on a planet called Horizon, where the Collectors are already attempting to abduct the colony. You must rendezvous with Commander Shepard's team and attempt to save as many of the colonists as you can."

The Time Walker pulled out his pocket watch, though he paused and looked Ben in the eye, a slightly mischievous look crossed his face. "Oh, and do try to be patient with Miss Lawson, will you? I daresay it will be worth it in the future."

Before the young hero could ask who 'Miss Lawson' was, or why he should be patient with her, a bright flash of light filled his vision, and he was off on his next adventure.

* * *

Once the light died down, and Ben managed to regain his bearings by shaking his head and blinking a few times, he examined his surroundings. Well, there was no doubt that he wasn't in Bellwood anymore.

The teen was standing in some kind of clearing, with strange white buildings around him. All around the immediate area were numerous crates, along with a circular platform with a few antennae poking out of it. Throughout the nearby air space were large insects buzzing about, though they didn't seem to acknowledge his existence. Strangely, the sky was quite dark, as if a dangerous storm had swept in to threaten the people who lived there, but there was no rain, thunder, or lightning.

While turning his head a few more times in order to fully gain his bearings, Ben felt his jaw drop at the massive ship that sat just outside of the colony, which might actually be able to match up to Way Big.

Suddenly, the hero's attention was drawn toward a nearby clicking sound. Looking over, the teen felt his eyes widen at the strange, insect-like creatures that seemed to be loitering a short distance away.

They seemed to be covered in a brown carapace, with four yellow eyes taking up a large amount of space on their heads, though Ben couldn't see a nose or mouth on any of them.

He did, however, take note of their organic-looking weapons. Which were pointing towards him.

"Oh man!" the hero managed to blurt out before dodging behind a cluster of crates as the Collectors opened fire on him. Fortunately, whatever ammo they were using didn't seem able to punch through his substandard cover.

Ben activated the Omnitrix, quickly going through his selection of aliens in order to find one appropriate for this situation. He'd need something that could stand up to their weapons, either one of his super durable or regenerative aliens.

Finding an old favorite, the teen smirked and slammed down on the dial.

With one burst of green light, the eighteen-year-old human was replaced by a seven-foot-tall being with a green body that appeared to be made of a plant-like material, with a red and yellow spiky head that looked similar to an open flame.

" _SWAMPFIRE!"_ the new alien bellowed as it leaped over the cover and charged toward his enemies, not paying any attention to the strange bullets that blasted through his body. Once he got close enough, the transformed teen threw a strong right punch into the chest of the nearest Collector.

Swampfire's eyes widened when his fist went straight through the creature's chest and out the other side, covering his hand and forearm in some kind of oil-like liquid. The Collector, on the other hand, paid no mind as it raised its rifle and fired a burst into the green alien's stomach.

"Guess Paradox was right," the superhero muttered to himself, a little relieved that he wasn't fighting true living beings. With that thought, Swampfire reached his other hand into his enemy's open chest and, using his incredible strength, tore the bug-like alien in half.

He then pointed his open palms toward the three remaining aliens, who weren't prepared for the streams of fire that came roaring out of Swampfire's hands. Two of them went down after a few seconds of burning. The third stalked forward, dropping its gun as its head began to twitch.

"You know what they say," the transformed teen began, crossing his arms over his chest. "If you can't stand the heat, get-"

Ben's quip was cut off as the lone Collector began convulsing, bright yellow cracks of glowing energy appearing in its armor. Before Swampfire could make a move, the Collector flew into the air and let out a burst of power that actually knocked the plant-like alien back a few steps.

The insect alien then landed on its feet, eyes blazing like quadruple suns as it seemed to glare at Swampfire.

" **WE ARE HARBINGER.** "

"Well, that name's not ominous at all," Ben grumbled as he threw a fireball at his enemy's face. The burning projectile collided, but the glowing bug didn't even flinch.

In retaliation, the Collector extended its arm forward and fired a sphere of crackling yellow energy towards Swampfire, who barely managed to dodge, though he did not escape unscathed. The blast had struck his legs, annihilating them and leaving the transformed teen lying on the ground with a head, two arms, and a torso.

"Okay, mistakes were made," the hero admitted to himself as he willed his body to grow new legs, which he quickly used to stand up straight and face the glowing Collector.

" **YOUR SPECIES IS UNKNOWN. YOU WILL BE STUDIED.** "

Deciding that this was not the time for a comeback quip, Swampfire instead charged forward, fully intending to engage his opponent in hand-to-hand combat.

Unfortunately, he was disavowed of this notion when the Collector let out a massive pulse of energy, sending the plant alien flying back and crashing into a pile of crates. Looking down at himself, the young hero groaned as he saw that his arms had been shredded by the blast.

With a sigh of annoyance, Swampfire stood up, his arms rapidly regrowing while he attempted to come up with a plan. His fire attacks were futile, and attempting to get too close seemed to be a bad idea.

Unless...

The transformed hero grinned as he slammed his right fist into the ground, forcing his hand under the surface.

As the Collector prepared another attack, it was suddenly surprised as its foe's fist suddenly blasted out of the ground in front of it, delivering a mighty uppercut into the insect alien's chin.

The creature was knocked back a few feet, landing on its back. Meanwhile, Swampfire smirked as his fist receded back through the earth and resumed its normal length. He pulled his hand out of the dirt and charged forward, hoping to hit the Collector while it was dazed.

The bug-like alien pulled itself up, managing to regain its senses...

...just in time for Swampfire to leap into the air and bring his foot down in a thunderous stomp on the Collector's head, crushing it like a pumpkin under his heel.

Fortunately, instead of leaving a gooey mess, the body seemed to burn a little brighter before disintegrating completely.

"Well, that could have been a lot worse," the young man muttered, though he refused to allow himself to get cocky. This small group of Collectors had proven to be relatively unchallenging, but chances were good that they had a few surprises in store. Paradox wouldn't have sent him to this universe otherwise.

Swampfire then turned around and glanced back at the monstrous ship, which no-doubt belonged to the Collectors. Immediately, his mind began going to work, trying to figure out what his options were.

He couldn't just go Way Big or Atomix and blow it up, since the insect aliens no doubt transported their abducted humans to it. Storming the ship would take too much time, so he'd have to find some way to disable it from the outside.

His contemplation was suddenly cut off by the sound of a large explosion not too far away. Whipping his head around, Swampfire saw a plume of smoke poking up from behind a nearby building.

"Well, that's always a good sign," Ben muttered sarcastically. He was tempted to transform into one of his faster aliens, but decided that he was close enough for Swampfire to still prove effective.

He quickly dashed over to a nearby building and used the super strength in his legs to leap onto the roof before running toward the smoke, keeping himself elevated just in case.

Ben arrived at his destination quickly enough, but he felt his eyes widen at the scene below him.

There were dead bodies littering the ground, though none of them appeared to be human. He saw plenty of Collectors, along with blue creatures that almost resembled zombies, only with technology wired into their flesh.

It looked like the corpses had been killed in a myriad of different ways. Some had been shot, others stabbed, and a handful looked like they had been burned. There were even a few that looked like that had been thrown into walls or the ground with unrelenting force, with their bodies crushed and splashes of blood (or whatever these things were made of) littering a few places.

Standing in the center of the carnage was one of the strangest groups Ben had seen in a long time, if ever.

His attention was first drawn to an amazingly beautiful woman, with raven hair and a tight white catsuit that hugged her more-than-generous curves.

Beside her was a man wearing grey armor with a red stripe running down the right arm. His face was stern, and his eyes appeared to be surveying the area.

There was also a large alien resembling a dinosaur, donning silver armor and a bloodthirsty grin on its face.

Another alien had strange avian features and a visor over one eye, while wearing blue armor that appeared damaged.

Ben also noticed a man who seemed to be in the later years of his life, if his grey hair and wrinkled face were anything to go by, though the wrinkles were a little hard to identify behind his numerous scars.

A dark-skinned man in black armor was fiddling with a gun in his hands, which appeared to be a shotgun.

Next to him was a petite woman wearing a black outfit and a hood that concealed most of her face.

At the back of the group was a short woman with a shaved head who was covered in tattoos, with her modesty only preserved by a belt tied around her breasts, baggy cargo pants, and combat boots.

A short distance away from the others, an alien with brown skin, big black eyes, and what appeared to be some kind of labcoat was using a strange holographic device to scan a dead Collector.

Swampfire assumed this was Commander Shepard and his team. Since Paradox had told him Shepard was a male human, that narrowed his choices down to three of the people in the group.

His money was on the man wearing the grey armor, as he stood in the center of the motley crew, continuing to scan the area for hostile forces.

Unfortunately, the assumed leader's eyes eventually landed on Ben, and the teen mentally scolded himself for not lying prone in order to reduce his visibility.

Before anyone could make a move, a loud buzzing sound filled the air, along with what sounded like horrible moaning straight out of a horror movie.

"We've got incoming!" the leader shouted as he pulled out a weapon, the others following his example. From all around, the blue cyber-zombie creatures charged out of buildings, and some even crawled out from under the foundations.

From above, a handful of Collectors flew in, using large wings that were poking out of their backs. Once they landed, the wings retracted, and the bug aliens began opening fire on Shepard's team, who dived behind cover while simultaneously shooting back.

Without hesitation, Swampfire leaped into the air and landed behind a Collector, who paid no attention to him. Big mistake, as the transformed hero grabbed the bug's head and tore it off of the body, leaving it to unceremoniously drop to the ground.

Ben then heard a moan behind him, and turned around only for one of the zombies to take a swipe at him. Swampfire dodged backwards and threw a powerful punch, practically liquidating his undead foe's head.

Looking toward Shepard's group, he saw they were doing pretty well, having already killed half of the opposition.

Deciding that he should make a good first impression, Ben summoned a fireball in each hand and threw them at a nearby cluster of the zombies, immolating them instantly.

A few members of the group stopped shooting on order to stare at the strange plant-like creature that was somehow throwing fireballs at their enemies, but quickly filed it under 'Figure Out Later' and continued firing at the Collectors.

Swampfire groaned in annoyance as another group of enemies swarm in, though his eyes suddenly widened as the gorgeous woman suddenly glowed blue before some kind of energy blast flew forth from her hand and slammed into a zombie, splattering it all over the ground.

Ben then took notice of the fact that the leader, bald woman, and dark-skinned man also began using the blue energy abilities.

 _Gonna have to ask about that when this is over_ , he decided, curious about the humans' unusual ability.

He then leapt back into the fray, punching and burning the zombies while occasionally hitting a Collector with a fireball as well. After a couple minutes of chaos, the last of the zombies fell (thanks to the large dinosaur alien tearing it in half), and a lone Collector remained standing.

The leader, strangely enough, looked alarmed. "Kill that bastard, before-" he yelled out, only to stop once the alien began glowing with familiar yellow energy.

"Not again," Swampfire groaned.

" **ASSUMING DIRECT CONTROL**."

Eight members of the group began opening fire on the glowing Collector. The leader, on the other hand, looked over at Ben and locked eyes with him, just like he did before while the teen was on the nearby roof.

They didn't know each other. One was a strange, unknown plant-like creature who could somehow throw fireballs and heal from any weapon damage it took. The other was a human soldier with glowing scars on half of his face who had saved the galaxy once before.

But for now, those facts didn't matter. They weren't attacking each other, but the glowing Collector didn't seem to like either of them.

 _The enemy of my enemy..._ Swampfire thought to himself as he gave the armored man a nod.

Accepting that this new being was not a threat, the leader nodded back before opening fire with his own gun on the Collector, who was currently throwing energy blasts at random.

A few members of the team dived behind cover, while others erected shields made up of that blue energy.

Swampfire quickly closed his fist and reopened it, smirking once he saw the seeds sitting in his palm. With a grunt, he tossed them at the Collector, where they landed almost perfectly at its feet.

The transformed teen then mentally reached out and took control of the seeds, which rapidly sprouted into very thick vines that wrapped around the glowing insect alien, trapping its arms around its sides and only leaving the head untouched.

The Collector turned to stare at Ben with those burning eyes, and the entire group also turned to him, looking amazed at his capabilities.

" **THESE ATTACKS ARE POINTLESS.** "

"Nope. This one has a _lot_ of points," Swampfire quipped as he commanded the vines to wrap around the rest of the Collector, completely hiding it from view. Then, with one last mental order, large thorns suddenly expanded out of the tendrils, impaling the glowing enemy on numerous spikes that essentially eviscerated it.

"Big, sharp, painful points," Ben added, smirking.

" **RELEASING CONTROL.** "

Swampfire allowed the vines to recede into the soil, revealing that the only thing left of the Collector was a small pile of ashes. Now, he was alone with the strange group, many of whom were eyeing him with suspicion.

"Stand down," the leader ordered as he approached Ben, getting within a few meters and staring up at him (no doubt this guy was tall, but Swampfire stood at an impressive seven feet). "This thing's not our enemy."

"We can't be too sure of that, Commander," the beautiful woman protested as the rest of the team approached, lowering their weapons but keeping them ready just in case. Smart move, really.

"Well, he doesn't seem to want to kill us," the bird-like alien pointed out, his flanged voice carrying a hint of amusement.

"I don't know, that smell could be considered an attack," the hooded woman pointed out, waving her hand in front of her nose.

The brown alien took a sniff of the air. "Hm. Smell of methane. Can set ablaze and harness flames as weapon. Fascinating. Must remember to get samples."

The leader spoke up, silencing any further protests or comments. "Why are you against the Collectors?"

Swampfire frowned. "They're abducting innocent people. I have a real problem with that."

"And we're just supposed to believe you?" the dark-skinned man asked, though there wasn't any real malice in his voice, just a healthy curiosity.

"Want me to pinky swear?" Ben asked sarcastically, causing the hooded woman to laugh. "Look, I'm here to help these people. You can work with me, or get out of my way."

A complete bluff, of course. The young hero needed to join Shepard's (assuming this was him) team, in order to ensure their victory over the Collectors, and to catch Ben up to speed on the universe he now found himself in.

After a pause, the leader shrugged. "Hell with it. If you wanted us dead, you would have killed us already."

"So little faith in our skills, Shepard?" the bird alien asked. "If I wanted to be criticized for my performance, I would have stayed at C-Sec."

"You saw him fighting," Shepard (guess that question was answered) responded. "He throws fireballs, controls plants, and regenerates from gunshot wounds, even to the head. He doesn't need to catch us off guard to kill us."

"Killed by a fuckin' plant?" the bald woman growled. "That would be embarrassing."

"Alright, you're with us," the Commander declared. "Got a name?"

"Call me Swampfire."

"It fits," Shepard commented dryly. He then went about introducing the squad to Ben.

The aliens were Garrus Vakarian (the bird-like one), Grunt (the dinosaur-like one), and Mordin Solus (who kept staring at Swampfire as if he wanted to dissect him in a lab somewhere).

The humans were Jacob Taylor (the dark-skinned one), Zaeed Massani (the old, scarred guy), Jack (the bald woman), Kasumi Goto (the hooded woman who, now that Ben was close enough, had easily-identifiable Japanese characteristics), and Miranda Lawson (the unbelievably gorgeous woman who looked like she was poured into her outfit).

Swampfire had to school his features so that he didn't flinch at Miranda's name. Paradox had mentioned that he should be patient with a 'Ms. Lawson', and judging by the suspicious glare he was receiving from those sapphire blue eyes, the time traveler had, like always, been right on point.

"Alright, our plan is to disable the Collector ship, storm in, and rescue the colonists," Shepard summed up, deciding that a long briefing would be unwise.

"Good plan, but how are you gonna disable _that_?" Ben asked, pointing toward the enormous ship that could easily be seen from anywhere in the colony.

"Our plan is to take control of the colony's defense systems," Jacob explained. "Use their guns to knock out power to the ship, since we know for sure that these cannons won't destroy it."

"Makes sense," Swampfire admitted, mentally chiding himself for not thinking of that plan earlier.

There was a tension in the air as the now ten-man team moved through the colony, keeping an eye out for any enemy forces that might attempt to surprise them. However, many members of the squad kept glancing toward Swampfire, unsure of how to respond to such a strange being.

"So," Kasumi chirped as she sidled up to Ben's side, her weapon holstered and a mischievous smile on her face. "Do the words 'I am Groot' mean anything to you?"

"Uh, what?" the transformed teen asked, completely confused by the words that had just come out of the petite woman's mouth.

She sighed and shook her head. "Joker's the only one who appreciates the classics."

Swampfire continued to stare at Kasumi, unsure how to respond to that.

"Sorry, that was just my attempt to break the ice," the Japanese woman explained. "Thought it might be impolite just to come out and ask what the hell you are."

"Uh, thanks," Ben said, a little more at ease. "It's a little hard to explain. Once we're done here, I'll give you all the whole story."

"Well, at least you're more polite than the last sentient plant Shepard and I came across," Garrus joked as he glanced around the immediate area.

"Fuckin' hell, Shepard," Zaeed grumbled. "You really know how to find the weird ones."

"It's a gift," the Commander joked as he led the group through a building and out into a very familiar area: the place where Ben had first arrived. the transformed teen examined the area a little more this time. It was a space about the size of a football field, surrounded by the oddly-shaped white buildings and a few walls. All around the open space were the crates from before, strange machines that looked like they were used to transport cargo, and a few canisters that looked highly unsafe should anyone decide to shoot them.

Shepard pointed toward the circular platform Ben had noticed earlier, right in the middle of the clearing. "There's the control tower. Everyone spread out and find a defensible position. Once we start firing on the ship, the Collectors are gonna come at us with everything they have."

"Good," Grunt snarled as his fingers tightened on his shotgun.

As commanded, the members of the team moved around the area, finding places that would provide them good cover for when their enemies swarmed in, along with possible escape routes if things got too hot.

Garrus found an elevated position and pulled out his sniper rifle, with Zaeed doing the same on the other side of the clearing.

Kasumi seemed to shimmer before she disappeared completely, and Swampfire smirked at the woman's impressive cloaking technology.

Grunt and Jack stood out in the open, both of them appearing excited at the prospect of more things to kill.

Miranda, Jacob, and Mordin huddled down in a few spots where the crates and machinery allowed them good defense.

Swampfire followed Shepard to the tower, well-aware of the fact that a few of his transformations might prove useful if this technology gave them any trouble.

The man in the grey armor held up his left hand, and the same kind of holographic device Mordin had been using earlier appeared over Shepard's arm. He waved it over the terminal on the tower before deactivating the device and lifting a hand to his ear.

Since Ben didn't have access to any kind of radio or communicator, he only got half a conversation.

" _Normandy_ , do you copy?"

A pause.

"EDI, think you can get these defense towers online?"

Another pause.

"How long will it take?"

...

"Alright, we'll hold them back, you just get those guns firing."

With that, the Commander removed his hand from his ear, and took note of Swampfire's confused expression. "It'll take about ten minutes," he explained. "Gotta last until then."

"I may be able to help," Ben said as he stepped over to the console. "Just try not to freak out."

Shepard raised an eyebrow at that. "With all the things I've seen, I don't think I can freak out about _anything_ anymore."

"Hundred bucks says you're wrong," Swampfire shot back.

The Commander blinked at the terminology. Nobody referred to currency as 'bucks' anymore, and even then, that had only been human slang back during the twentieth and twenty-first century.

How very curious.

But Shepard couldn't resist. "You're on."

The plant-like alien reached down and touched the strange, hourglass-like symbol on his chest. Suddenly, everyone's attention was drawn toward their strange ally as a bright green flash erupted around him.

Once the light died down, Shepard (along with most of the squad) felt their eyes widen and/or their jaws drop at the new creature standing before them.

Like Swampfire, it was tall, although this one appeared to be machine-like in nature. It was colored black and green, with large hands and a large protrusion where the head should be, and a green circle that Shepard guessed was the face.

" _UPGRADE!_ " the new being called out.

It was a good thing Galvanic Mechomorphs couldn't smirk, because that's exactly what Ben would be doing after seeing the Commander's stunned face. Easiest hundred bucks he had ever made.

"What the hell?" Miranda managed to say, her thoughts racing. What the hell was this thing? What was it capable of? Would she be able to use it to Cerberus's, and therefore humanity's, benefit?

Once the mission was complete, she'd have to tell the Illusive Man. Then she'd have to figure out how to capture this being.

A short distance away, Mordin was talking at a mile a minute, forming hypotheses for what this strange being was, sounding as excited as a kid who just learned he inherited an entire candy factory.

"Just add it to the list of questions," Upgrade quipped as he turned back to the terminal. "Right now, we have a colony to save."

With that, the new being touched the machine, and Shepard watched as this creature seemed to melt into a liquid form before merging into the terminal, with the same black and green pattern spreading to the entire control tower.

"What exactly are you doing?" Shepard asked, his innate curiosity showing itself.

The circle that represented Upgrade's face appeared on the console. "I merged with the tower, and now I'm trying to speed up the process of getting the guns online. Should take a few more seconds."

The Commander was amazed. EDI, his ship's hyper-advanced artificial intelligence, said it would take ten minutes if she attempted it, but this thing managed to cut that down to _seconds_?

Incredible.

As Ben promised, the AA towers began to target the Collector ship after about twenty more seconds. The sound of cannon fire filled the air, and the sight of explosions all along the surface of the Collector ship managed to put a smile on the face of every member of the team (excluding Upgrade, who had no mouth to smile with).

"Now that's the most beautiful thing I've seen in _months_ ," Garrus joked before tilting his head on thought. "Kind of sad, now that I think about it."

Upgrade then noticed Shepard hold his hand up to his ear once more, his body stiffening from whatever information he had just received.

"We've got their attention!" the Commander shouted to his team as he pulled out his assault rifle. "EDI says we got a lot of hostiles heading our way!"

"About fucking time!" Jack roared in glee as she cocked her shotgun, her lithe body glowing with blue energy. "Bet I get more kills than you, big guy," she challenged while grinning at Grunt.

The krogan gave a bloodthirsty smile, baring his teeth for all to see. "You're on."

Upgrade slid himself out of the control tower, solidifying next to Shepard behind a pile of crates. "Alright, nothing short of a massive EMP is gonna stop those cannons from shooting," he reported.

"Nice work," the Spectre complimented. "You know, I could use someone like you on my team. We're going to hit the Collector homeworld, and I need the best working beside me."

"Huh," the transformed teen said. "I was planning on joining you guys anyway. Just wasn't sure how to ask."

Before Shepard could say anything else, the sound of Garrus firing off a round from his sniper rifle filled the air. Talking could come later; now was the time for battle.

Collectors began flying in from all directions, accompanied by large groups of the zombie-creatures. The air was quickly filled with the sound of undead moaning, insect-like wings, and gunfire.

Upgrade glanced around the battlefield, watching as Shepard's team admirably held off wave after wave of enemy forces. While the husks went down after a few hits (Grunt and Jack were particularly effective at dealing with them), the Collectors were a little tougher, hiding behind cover and actually managing to take a few hits before going down.

Next to Ben, Shepard fired off a few rounds before pulling his hand back and throwing an energy blast at a Collector, sending it flying into a nearby wall and splattering it like a bug on a windshield.

The transformed teen poked his head over the crates and noticed a large group of the husks was charging toward Miranda's position. She was valiantly taking out large amounts of them by throwing blue energy blasts and firing her SMG, but there were simply too many.

Upgrade felt that familiar tingle as he channeled power into his single eye. A second later, a powerful blast of green energy shot out of his 'face', which he used to cut down half of the undead monsters, while the others were quickly preoccupied by Grunt charging into their midst.

Miranda whipped her head around, gazing at Ben with shock, confusion, and maybe just the tiniest hint of gratitude. Hard to tell.

" **ASSUMING CONTROL OF THIS FORM.** "

"Ah, dammit," Shepard growled before turning toward Ben. "Think you can take him down again?"

Upgrade looked over toward the familiar glow of the possessed Collector, calmly walking towards the group with a dozen normal Collectors surrounding it.

"Not like this," the wielder of the Omnitrix admitted, knowing that Upgrade was better as a utility form than an offensive one. "Gonna have to change again."

With that ominous statement, the machine alien reached down and tapped the hourglass symbol on its chest. Another bright flash filled the clearing, and Upgrade was immediately replaced by something _much_ larger and scary-looking.

" _HUMONGOUSAUR!_ " the dinosaur-like creature roared. It stood at an incredibly intimidating twelve feet tall, with brown skin, massive muscles, and a tail. With a battle cry that reverberated through the air like a blast of thunder, the large beast charged forward, the ground violently shaking from his footsteps.

One by one, Shepard's crew stopped firing, not only because they were stunned by the monster now running full speed towards the Collectors, but because the insect-like aliens were now focusing all of their fire on the brown behemoth. Fortunately, Humongousaur's thick skin provided excellent defense, with the shots from the Collector's rifles having about as much impact as a schoolboy blowing spitwads.

Within the span of a few seconds, the Vaxasaurian reached the cluster of Collectors, heading straight for the glowing one first.

" **SHAPESHIFTER. YOU ARE AN UNKNOWN ENTITY. YOU WILL BE ELIMINATED.** "

"Yeah, haven't heard that one before," Humongousaur growled as he lifted his fist over his head and brought it down on the enemy leader. While it was smashed into the ground, the glowing Collector didn't disintegrate like Ben expected it to.

" **THIS IS WHAT YOU FACE.** "

The dozen Collectors that had been standing around Humongousaur, shooting at his impenetrable skin in a futile attempt to preserve their leader, suddenly dropped their weapons and began convulsing.

"Oh, you gotta be kidding me," the transformed teen groaned as he quickly realized just what was about to happen.

As one, the twelve bug creatures levitated into the air, gold energy bursting forth from their bodies as they all became possessed. As soon as they landed, the group all spoke at once, the same voice bouncing around thirteen bodies like some kind of twisted, evil stereo.

" _ **WE ARE THE HARBINGER OF YOUR PERFECTION.**_ "

"You're a dirty cheater," Humongousaur growled in annoyance as he lifted his foot and brought it down hard on the Collector that he had already smashed, crushing it into oblivion.

"One down, twelve to-" the behemoth began to say before roaring in pain as a combined energy blast from four of the Collectors crashed into his back. The dinosaur alien fell to one knee, shaking his head in order to ward off the pain.

"Shoulda kept bugging Azmuth into letting me keep the evolutionary function," Ben grumbled, desperately wishing he could transform into Ultimate Humongousaur at the moment. A spiked ball on his tail and the ability to fire missiles from his fingers would most certainly come in handy right about now.

Ah, well. He'd dealt with worse odds than this.

A lone Harbinger (considering the glowing Collectors kept calling themselves that, it was as good a bad guy name as any) stalked in front of him, lifting its arm in order to fire a blast into Humongousaur's face.

The gigantic alien reacted by reaching out and promptly ripping the offending appendage out of the Collector's socket. Moving quickly, the transformed teen dropped the arm (which disintegrated before even touching the ground) and whipped his body around, smashing his muscular tail into the now one-armed Harbinger and sending it flying into a nearby wall. It promptly lost its glow and was reduced to ashes.

Humongousaur lifted his arms up and brought them down on two more Harbingers, one of whom decomposed instantly, the other struggling against his fist by clawing at it.

Turning his head, Ben saw a few of the other Collectors preparing to launch an attack.

Before they could blast him with more bursts of energy, a bright blue flash exploded into existence right in front of them, revealing the small, colorful, and enraged form of Jack in their midst, a psychotic grin on her face and a shotgun in her hands.

"Let's dance, motherfuckers!" she yelled before firing a shot into the face of one of the Harbingers. It took a step back just from the force of the gunshot, but was otherwise unharmed.

The bald woman then sent out a wide blast of her own blue power, knocking the Harbinger Collectors away. Two of them landed on their backs in the tall grass, the third remained standing, glaring at Jack with those creepy glowing eyes.

" **HUMAN; VIABLE POSSIBILITY, GREAT BIOTIC POTENTIAL.** "

Jack's response was to surge forward and cover her fist in blue energy. Before the Collector could stop her, the tattooed woman rammed said fist into the insect alien's head, plowing through it's hardened carapace and popping out of the other side of its skull.

Humongousaur wasn't sure whether he should feel awed or disturbed by Jack's immense display of power.

To the transformed teen's left, a Harbinger Collector was suddenly tackled by the large armored form of Grunt, who proceeded to hammer his foe with repeated blows to its large head.

Glancing over, Ben saw that Shepard and the rest of the team were surging forward, opening fire on the remaining glowing Collectors.

What happened next was a chaotic hurricane of bullets, blue energy blasts, and good old Humongousaur muscle, along with strange fire and ice attacks from Mordin, Kasumi's disappearing and reappearing form, and Grunt's unstoppable forward momentum.

Within a handful of minutes, Shepard and the rest of the team stood tall, with the ashes left over from the Collectors' bodies spreading into the wind.

There was a moment of silence as the squad glanced at each other, the adrenaline beginning to fade and the realization that they had gone up against dozens of enemies and _won_ slowly starting to sink in.

Strangely enough, Zaeed was the first one to start laughing. He was quickly followed by Grunt and Jack, and before long, almost everyone was either laughing or, at the very least, smiling broadly. Even the normally stern and emotionless Miranda couldn't stop herself from giving off a light chuckle.

"Holy shit," Shepard muttered to himself, turning his head and cracking his neck as he glanced around at the team that he had assembled. He had to admit, when the Illusive Man had sent him the dossiers of these individuals, he had been mighty skeptical.

Two Cerberus operatives, a turian vigilante, a salarian scientist, a mass-murdering convict, an unstable krogan, an infamous mercenary, and the (admittedly self-described) best thief in the galaxy. On paper, it sounded about as wise as opening an airlock in space in order to get some fresh air.

But here they were, standing over the numerous dead bodies of their enemies, chuckling together like they had been friends for years.

He may be an arrogant, narcissistic son of a bitch with delusions of grandeur, but if nothing else, the Illusive Man knew how to pick out a team. Bastard would probably be unstoppable at fantasy biotiball.

Of course, there was also the matter of the shapeshifting creature that currently resembled a large humanoid dinosaur standing in their midst. Now, more than ever, the Commander felt that this being was on their side.

After all, if it wanted them all dead, this form would no doubt have managed to accomplish that, no matter how skilled the team.

Unfortunately, the good cheer quickly evaporated once the squad felt the ground begin to shake. At first, everyone glanced at Humongousaur, since he had managed to make a similar effect happen while running earlier.

However, he was currently standing still, and backed up that fact by holding up his hands in a calming motion. "It's not me," he stated.

"No," Miranda said, her voice quiet. "It's _that_."

As one, Shepard's team turned and saw the Collector ship beginning to shake. At its base, where the engine was located, flame-like energy began to spew forth. The fact that they could see the thrusters firing up from so far away did not bode well.

"They're leaving," Jacob breathed.

"We can't let them get away!" the Commander barked, turning toward Humongousaur. "Can you stop them?"

The transformed teen wanted to say yes with every fiber of his being, but he knew his options were limited. The ship was already lifting from the ground at a speed that belied its size, and that meant he wouldn't be able to reach it in time, even with his faster aliens. He could turn into one of his flying forms, but then what? If he disabled it in space, it might knock out life support and kill every person that was taken from the colony. If he tried to bring it back down to the planet's surface, it might crash and self-destruct, or land wrong and topple onto the colony's buildings and homes, causing more death either way.

His only real choice was to join up with Shepard's team, attack the Collector homeworld, and hope they didn't kill the colonists in the meantime.

"God dammit!" Shepard yelled, frustrated at his inability to stop his enemies from escaping. He could only watch, helpless as the ship rapidly ascended into the sky, a smoky trail left in its wake as if to mock the team for their failure.

Humongousaur sighed, deciding that now was as good a time as any to do this.

He reached up and tapped the Omnitrix symbol on his chest, and after another green flash, the large beast was replaced by a young human with brown hair and wearing a green jacket.

A silence filled the clearing.

"What the actual _fuck_?!" Jack managed to say, which seemed to sum up the general feeling among all of the team members.

"Well, we already have an undead human on the team, might as well add a shapeshifting one, too," Garrus joked, though he still stared at Ben with a watchful eye, his detective instincts kicking in and attempting to put together pieces of a puzzle that seemed to make no sense whatsoever.

Any further comments were interrupted by a hoarse voice yelling "No! Don't let them get away!"

A man wearing a baseball cap ran out into the field in the direction of the Collector ship, almost as if he believed he could catch up to it just by using his legs.

The man stopped a few meters away, turning toward Shepard's team with a manic look on his face. "Half the colony's in there! They got Egan and Stan and _Lilith_! Do something!"

The Commander turned toward Ben. "You can't stop them?"

The young man shook his head. "I could go after them, but I might end up destroying the ship."

"And they all die anyway," Shepard said, unhappy but understanding. He turned to the upset man. "I didn't want it to end this way, but we did everything we could."

"If it wasn't for Shepard, the entire colony would be on that ship," Garrus growled, annoyed at the dirty look the man was giving the Spectre.

"This is why I avoid colony worlds," Zaeed commented. "All the locals know how to do is bitch and moan."

However, the hat-wearing man took no note of the mercenary's comment, instead focusing on the Commander. "Wait, Shepard?" he asked, a hint of familiarity in his voice. "I know that name. Some kind of big Alliance hero, right?"

"Commander John Shepard," another unknown voice spoke up.

A man with dark hair and grey armor approached, his eyes wide with disbelief as he stared at Shepard. The Spectre shared a glance with Garrus, so Ben had a feeling the three knew each other, or at the very least were acquainted.

"Captain of the SSV _Normandy_. The first human Spectre. Hero of Elysium and Savior of the Citadel," the man listed off slowing down once he got within a few feet of Shepard. He had a warm smile on his face, looking as if a long-lost friend had come back from the dead. Which, judging by the comment Garrus had made earlier, might not be too far from the truth.

"You're in the presence of a legend, Delan," the dark-haired man said to the angry one with the baseball cap. "And a ghost."

Delan looked less than pleased. "All the good people we lost and you get left behind. Figures."

The rude colonist suddenly felt a tingle of fear shoot up his spine as Grunt stomped up to him, the large alien baring his teeth like an enraged guard dog. "You pathetic pile of varren shit," he snarled. "You cower in a bunker and wait for true warriors to solve your problem, and then all you do is complain?"

"Enough, Grunt," Shepard ordered, though he sounded reluctant to do so.

The angry alien back away, though his light-blue eyes still bore into Delan, as if Grunt could rip his arms off just by staring at him hard enough.

"I'd run like hell if I was you," chirped a voice from behind the colonist, who whipped around out of surprise and fright. Kasumi stood there, her normally mischievous smile promising a lot of pain in the man's future if he didn't leave immediately.

Fortunately, his survival instincts weren't as poor as his skills at diplomacy, and Delan proceeded to run off like a dog with its tail between its legs.

"Prick," Jack spat, and no one felt arguing with her.

Shepard then turned back to his friend, who had extended a friendly hand of greeting. "I thought you were dead, Shepard. We all did."

A smile crossed the Commander's face, which was greatly needed after the crushing feeling of watching the Collectors take off with all those innocent people. "It's been too long, Kaidan. I bet you've got a ton of questions."

"He always did enjoy asking them," Garrus joked, stepping forward and receiving a similar handshake.

"Good to see you too, Garrus," Kaidan greeted, though his eyes widened once he saw Garrus's scarred visage. "What happened to you?"

"Oh, you know, cut myself shaving," the sniper quipped. "Imagine my embarrassment when I learned turians don't grow facial hair. Or _any_ hair for that matter."

While the Commander and Garrus caught up with their friend, Ben stood off to the side, leaning in the shade against a building with his arms over his chest and a frown on his face. His thoughts raced, attempting to determine if there was anything else he could do.

He had failed those people, and some part of him kept thinking that there was something he could have done to stop the Collectors from getting away.

Unfortunately, as he went down the list of aliens he could have used, it seemed more and more that there were no options available to him. His best bet would have been Upgrade, and even then, he didn't know if Upgrade could control a ship that size, or if their systems had countermeasures built in.

The teen was suddenly torn from his thoughts as a figure approached him. Looking up, he found himself having to dedicate a large amount of willpower in order to keep his gaze at a certain height, as the miraculously beautiful Miranda Lawson approached him, curiosity gleaming in her eyes.

 _Seriously, she goes into battle wearing_ that _outfit?_ the teen raged in his head. Truly, her catsuit left absolutely nothing to the imagination.

The gorgeous woman stopped a few feet away, her arms crossed over her extremely ample chest.

"What exactly are you?" she asked, her voice calm and collected, which was actually an impressive feat, all things considered. Most people tended to get overly emotional and excited once they started asking who he was and what he was capable of.

"I'm a human," he answered, shrugging. Ben then extended his right hand. "Ben Tennyson, at your service."

Miranda cocked in eyebrow in surprise, but was gracious enough to reach out and shake his hand in a respectful greeting. Each of them noticed the other's strong grip.

"And how were you able to transform into those creatures, Mr. Tennyson?" the raven-haired woman questioned.

"Well, first off, just call me Ben," he corrected her. He got enough of the 'Mr. Tennyson' thing from fans and other Plumbers back home. He was eighteen; formal titles really shouldn't be applied to him yet. "And second, I'd rather explain later, when everyone is listening. Not a big fan of repeating myself."

While Miranda was eager to learn as much as she can from the young man in front of her, she could understand his feelings. She remembered having to repeat herself countless times to numerous people she had worked with on the Lazarus Project, especially that ingrate Wilson. On really bad days, it had taken all of her self-restraint not to use her biotics to tear his head off.

The Cerberus operative was patient, and knowing Shepard, this boy would be a part of the _Normandy_ crew within the next hour. She could afford to wait.

Nearby, the conversation between Shepard and Kaidan was going downhill fast.

"You're with Cerberus now?!" the latter yelled in horror and anger. "I can't believe the reports were right!"

"Wait, what reports?" Garrus asked, confused.

"Alliance Intel thought Cerberus might be behind the missing colonies. They got a tip this one might be next to get hit," Kaidan explained, suspicion creeping into his voice as he glanced back and forth between Shepard and Garrus. "I couldn't get anything straight out of Anderson, but there were rumors that you weren't dead. Worse, that you were working for the enemy."

The Commander sighed. "Kaidan, I was _dead_. Cerberus brought me back, and now they're helping me take down the Collectors. I'm _not_ with them."

"I can't believe this," the other man scoffed, shaking his head. "Remember what Cerberus did? With the thresher maws, the rachni, _Kahoku_! You've turned your back on everything we stood for!"

Ben frowned, confusion seeping its way into his brain. He was really missing a large amount of information here. Alliance, Cerberus, thresher maws, Shepard actually _died_? Yeah, the teen knew that he was gonna be doing a lot of research in the future.

That was always fun.

Next to him, Miranda rolled her eyes, an annoyed look crossing her face.

"Kaidan, you _know_ me," Shepard said, sounding like his patience level was running low. "You know I'd only do this for the right reason. You saw the Collectors abducting the colonists! And they're working for the _Reapers_!"

"I want to believe you Shepard, but _I don't trust Cerberus_ ," Kaidan retorted. "What if _they're_ behind it? What if they're working with the Collectors and using the Reaper threat to manipulate you?"

"Typical Alliance attitude," Miranda muttered. "So focused on Cerberus that they're not willing to acknowledge the real threat."

Shepard sighed and shook his head, unwilling to argue any further.

"You've changed, Shepard," Kaidan said quietly. "But I still know where my loyalties lie. I'm an Alliance soldier. Always will be."

He then turned and began walking away. "I've got to report back to the Citadel, let them decide if they believe your story or not."

"Stay safe out there, Kaidan," Shepard spoke up, his voice low.

The dark-haired man paused for a moment and glanced over his shoulder. "You too, Shepard."

With that, he continued walking, eventually passing through a passageway between buildings and disappearing from sight.

An awkward silence filled the clearing, and not even the crass members of the team, like Jack and Zaeed, had anything to say.

After a short pause, Shepard walked over to Ben, standing next to Miranda and gazing at the young man with a critical eye. It was quite unnerving, actually; the Commander's gaze pierced into him in a way that few others had done.

"You still willing to join my team?" the undead soldier asked.

Ben nodded.

"And you'll answer any questions I have about all the crazy stuff you just did?"

"Sure."

Shepard reached his hand out to shake, much like the teen hero had done with Miranda earlier. Without hesitation, the boy in the green jacket reached out and grasped the Commander's hand in a firm grip.

"Ben Tennyson, reporting for duty."

* * *

 **Holy crap, this is the longest chapter I've written for anything ever. 11,000 words! My fingers are tingling. Next chapter is Ben meeting the team, telling his origin story, and might include Tali's recruitment mission.**

 **Also, I did replace the Praetorian with a swarm of Harbinger-possessed Collectors. Why? Because it's freakin' awesome. Harbinger is the oldest and most powerful Reaper, right? So why can't he possess more than one body? Don't worry, though, the Praetorians will appear later on.**

 **So yeah, I'm back! I missed writing on this website, but real life has this ugly habit of showing up and slamming into me like that train from "Snowpiercer". But, I've managed to find a nice balance between school, work, and my hobbies, including fanfiction.**

 **My plan is to try and update every other week, but I can't guarantee anything, naturally. Plus I have a few side fics I might work on, just so that my creativity isn't bogged down.**

 **Anyway, reviews are always appreciated. Flames will be used to torch copies of Adam Sandler movies. Have you _seen_ "Ridiculous 6"? It's like watching a baby dolphin die a slow and painful death, it's so bad.**


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